A way to health, long life and happiness, or, A discourse of temperance and the particular nature of all things requisite for the life of man as all sorts of meats, drinks, air, exercise &c., with special directions how to use each of them to the best advantage of the body and mind : shewing from the true ground of nature whence most diseases proceed and how to prevent them : to which is added a treatise of most sorts of English herbs ... the whole treatise displaying the most hidden secrets of philosophy ... / communicated to the world for the general good by Thomas Tryon.

Of the Sour Quality.

1. Those that have this Quality predominant in them, are of middle Stature, rather short then tall, large Visages, fleshy and corpulent, slow in moti∣on, of dull heavy Spirits, not apt to learn, great drinkers, subject to gross phlegmatick Humors and dropsical Diseases, not very strong nor healthy; their Fire and natural heat burns but dully.

2. But if the Sweet Quality be joyned with this, and hath an equal share of government, then such People are of pleasant merry tempers, apt to laugh, of easy Faith, and a small occasion will move them, out of one thing into another, not fixed, nor of any depth, search or understanding, apt to speak much, but not wise, being like Children, laugh and cry all in a breath, very good to carry Tales and Stories from one to another.

3. But if the Bitter Quality doth predominate equally with this, and the Sweet weak or under∣neath, then such People are bestial, hard-heart∣ed, cruel, inhuman, Swearers, Lyars, and the like, fit for all robustick, dirty, killing Imployments; but they are of stronger Constitutions than the former, and healthier, and also of better and quick∣er Apprehensions, but of very ill Tempers.

4. But if the saltish or astringent quality doth pre∣dominate, and have an equal share in government, and the Sweet Quality weak, then this sort of People are not so corpulent nor fleshy, but taller and more slender of Stature, of sour Countenances and Dis∣positions, cunning in Words and Deeds, apt to Dis∣semble and Lye, they are also apt to bear Malice, having two Faces; the Diseases they are subject to, are the Stone, Wind-Colick, Consumptions, and many windy Diseases and Infirmities; if Temperance be wanting, many of this sort of People are also great drinkers.

5. When this Sour Quality doth predominate in any Beast, then such are of a dull, heavy Dispositi∣on and Spirit, apt to have great bellies and slow in motion: If in Horses, they are neither handsom nor free, dull Eyes and great Heads: If in Cows, their Milk is not so good as others, being thin: If in Herbs or Fruit, then their taste is some-what un∣pleasant, harsh and sour, and their Colour is of a dark Green.